• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Mission and Values
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Copyright
  • Contact
  • Roti n Rice
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Roti n Rice

Roti n Rice

Food to gladden the heart

  • Video Recipes
  • Web Stories
  • Recipe Index
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
      • Southeast Asian
      • Western
      • Fusion
      • Mediterranean
      • Other Cuisines
    • Holiday
      • Chinese New Year
      • Valentine’s Day
      • St Patrick’s Day
      • Easter
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
    • Main Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Poultry
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Other Meats
      • Rehash
      • Beans & Lentils
      • Rice & Grain
      • Noodles
      • Egg & Tofu
      • Fruit
      • Vegetables
  • Tutorials
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Reviews
    • Roundups
    • Others
  • Work With Us
Home / Courses / Appetizer & Snack / Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad and Sambal Belacan

Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad and Sambal Belacan

By: 👩‍🦳 Linda · Published: 🖨 July 29, 2012 · Updated: 💻July 1, 2018 · 🗨 38 Comments

Recipe ▼

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try!

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try! | RotiNRice.com

In every language there are always some unique words that convey highly expressive notions about food and cultural nuances all at once. In the Malay language, rojak fulfills this down to a T. Blessed with an abundance of tropical fruits and vegetables, Malaysians often take a variety of ingredients and mix them together into a tasty salad called Rojak. In the mind of the locals, rojak has taken upon the meaning of diverse elements and even polar opposites being blended together. As such to describe anything as rojak is to imply a jumbled mix.

The cut-fruit stall is a popular lunch time fixture where Rojak can sometimes be found. The vendor will chop up his fruits and mix it with the sweet and spicy sauce. Prior to the advent of plastic bags, it was once common for Rojak to be served up in a newsprint cone lined with banana leaves. A few bamboo skewers were included for spearing the pieces of fruit. This is the most basic form of Rojak. Specialized Rojak vendors have more elaborate ingredients that include fried tofu and crispy shrimp fritters to provide a contrast of textures and flavors.

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try! | RotiNRice.com

The sweet and spicy sauce is what makes the fruit salad a Rojak. One can almost describe the taste as umami. The ingredients include Sambal Belacan (pounded shrimp paste and chili condiment), hei ko (sweet shrimp paste), sweet sauce, caramel soy sauce, and sugar. Hei ko is a very important ingredient, without which it will not have that thick caramel consistency. On this side of the world, it would be similar to a spicy chocolate sauce or mole. In fact, I made a Spicy Chocolate Rojak sometime back using extra dark chocolate as a substitute.

This Spicy Chocolate Rojak is a twist on the popular Malaysian spicy fruit salad using easily available ingredients for the dressing. Surprisingly tasty! | RotiNRice.com

World on a Plate

Today is the last Sunday of the month and it is time for World on a Plate. This month’s theme “Fruity Dessert” was agreed upon way back in May and the first thing that came to my mind was Rojak. I was really excited as I knew I would be able to get hei ko this time since I had a scheduled visit to Malaysia in June. Although I have not seen hei ko being sold here in my neighborhood in recent times, it is available in the larger Asian grocery stores downtown and especially the ones on both coasts. I have purchased it once or twice in the past.

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try! | RotiNRice.com

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try! | RotiNRice.com

Sambal Belacan

The other very important ingredient in Rojak is Sambal Belacan, a beloved pounded chili condiment of the Nyonyas and Malays. Many such household find food bland where sambal belacan is not present. It is often served during a meal with some raw vegetables known as ulam or simply used as a dip for a myriad of dishes.

There are basically only three ingredients in Sambal Belacan – red chilies, toasted belacan (shrimp paste), and lime juice. Belacan is a cake-like shrimp paste that must be cooked and cannot be eaten raw. Always buy the best grade you can afford as a little goes a long way. Hei ko on the other hand, is a more sauce-like shrimp paste that can be eaten right out of the jar.

Sambal Belacan can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until needed. It is best consumed within 2 to 3 days. Please scroll down for the recipe at the end of this page.

Similar Tools Used in Making This Rojak

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

• T-fal Professional Total Nonstick Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Fry Pan, 8-Inch
• Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try! | RotiNRice.com
5 from 1 vote

Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try!
Author : Linda Ooi
Course : Dessert, Snack
Cuisine : Malaysian
Keyword : rojak
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings : 4
Calories : 323kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 small deep fried tofu
  • ½ pineapple (peeled and cut into chunks)
  • 1 green mango (peeled and cubed)
  • 1 small jicama (peeled and cubed)
  • 1 small cucumber (cut into bite size pieces)
  • ¼ cup peanuts (toasted and chopped)
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)

Rojak Sauce

  • 1 tbsp sambal belacan
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce or sweet sauce
  • 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp hei ko (sweet black shrimp paste)
  • 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions
 

  • Fry tofu on a non-stick pan on all sides to crisp it up. Remove and slice thinly when cool enough to handle. Set aside.
  • Combine all rojak sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon.
    Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad-10
  • Place sliced tofu, pineapple, mango, jicama, and cucumber in a large bowl.
  • Pour sauce over fruits and vegetables. Mix well.
    Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad-11
  • Dish into 4 individual portions. Sprinkle some chopped peanuts and sesame seeds over each portion.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @RotiNRice or tag #RotiNRice

Rojak – A Mix of Flavors

The chopped roasted peanuts and sesame seeds provide additional texture and crunch. This salad truly is a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. I hope you will give it a try.

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try! | RotiNRice.com

Recipe for Sambal Belacan

5 from 1 vote

Sambal Belacan

Sambal Belacan is a spicy Malaysian condiment.
(Serving size: 1 teaspoon)
Author : Linda Ooi
Course : Side Dish
Cuisine : Malaysian
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings : 15
Calories : 15kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ inch cube belacan
  • 6 red chilies
  • 1 lime (about 2 to 3 tbsp lime juice)

Instructions
 

  • Toast belacan in a non-stick pan until crumbly. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool .
  • Break red chilies into smaller pieces shaking off seeds as much as possible. Place toasted belacan and chilies in a small food processor and processed until desired level of fineness.
  • Alternatively, belacan and chilies may be pounded in a stone mortar and pestle to the desired level of fineness.
  • Transfer to a jar. Squeeze in lime juice.
  • Store in the refrigerator and consume within 2 to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 15kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @RotiNRice or tag #RotiNRice

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try! | RotiNRice.com

Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎



Categories: 🗂 Appetizer & Snack, Dessert, Fruit, Southeast Asian Tags: 📋 cucumber, jicama, Malaysian, mangoes, pineapple, World on a Plate

Roti n Rice's Amazon Page Roti n Rice is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Previous Post: « Sweet Potatoes in Ginger Syrup
Next Post: Shrimp and Broccoli Slaw Fried Rice »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. simply.food says

    July 29, 2012 at 5:09 pm

    Fantastic clicks.Salad looks delicious. This is perfect entry to Flavours of Malaysia, inviting you to link it.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:26 am

      Thanks Nayna! I have already linked up one recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  2. PolaM says

    July 29, 2012 at 5:28 pm

    This looks amazing! I would love to try it!!! I’m very intrigued by the flavor combination!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:27 am

      I hope you get to try it when you visit Malaysia. 🙂

      Reply
    • Chris says

      February 26, 2021 at 4:31 am

      5 stars
      Apple’s, pineapple, guava + our own home grown hard plums, chillies and green onion tips with the belecan sambal sauce, simply yumm!!!! And a side of steamed shrimps with some sugar biscuits to compliment the whole dish, absolutely yumm, healthy and very refreshing 😊

      Reply
      • Linda says

        February 26, 2021 at 8:01 am

        Yes, all those firm and tangy fruits will work. I like your creativity. I may have to make some for myself today. 😋

        Reply
  3. Delishhh says

    July 29, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    Looks amazing! Would love the sweet and salty combination here. YUM!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:27 am

      Thank you.

      Reply
  4. Raymund says

    July 30, 2012 at 3:34 am

    This reminds me of the other rojak which I really love, I am not sure if you know what I mean but the one I am saying is the sweet, salty and spicy variant, I am not sure whats on it but its not fruits. Do you have a recipe of that one?

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:29 am

      This rojak also has the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. Perhaps you are referring to Indian rojak or pasembor.

      Reply
  5. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

    July 30, 2012 at 3:39 am

    Biren, have you anything in house that needs to be done? Like laundry, car-washing, dog-walking? I will work for getting a portion of this delicious Rojak!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:30 am

      Aww…you don’t have to work for me Angie. I would gladly share some of my rojak with you. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Ramona says

    July 30, 2012 at 6:35 am

    Biren.. your sambal was literally making my mouth water!! I love it. I also love the little dish you put your sambal in very cute!! This fruit salad is my kind of dish. 🙂

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:32 am

      Sambal belacan can be addictive. My mom always have a jar in the fridge. Those cute little dishes come in a set of four. It is nice that they have lids. 🙂

      Reply
  7. dorothy lin says

    July 30, 2012 at 7:44 am

    Thanks for the easy version of the rojak.My mouth waters when I see the pictures.Pineapples,mangoes,and jicama cost cheaper in summer.Plus with home grown cucumbers and chilli peppers – the rojak will taste heavenly.I will try making it next week and let you know th result.

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:34 am

      Wow…homegrown cucumbers and chili peppers! That is great! I can’t wait to hear how yours turned out.

      Reply
  8. Jeannie says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:42 am

    You managed to introduce the simple rojak in such a grand way with your beautiful photos!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:34 am

      Thanks Jeannie for your kind words. 🙂

      Reply
  9. mjskit says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:51 am

    This has got to be one of the most interesting desserts I’ve ever seen! Tofu, fruit, hot sauce – in a dessert? Why not? I do love the sweet and spicy so I’m sure this is the perfect dessert for me. The sambal belacan looks very interesting and like something that could be used in a variety of dishes. I’ve never heard of belacan, so it’s now on my list of things to find! Great dessert, wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing this unique Malaysian dessert!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:37 am

      This truly is a jumble or mixed up fruit salad with a combination of flavors and textures. I hope you get to try it one of these days.

      You should be able to find belacan at the Asian grocery stores. Do buy the best grade you can find as a little goes a long way.

      Reply
  10. Magic of Spice says

    July 30, 2012 at 7:12 pm

    My kind of fruit salad…wow! This looks incredible Biren!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:38 am

      Thanks Alisha! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Kitchen Belleicious says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    okay this is definitely new to me and I love it! I never thought to have a spicy fruit salad but I can see how amazing it would be. Love the spices!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:39 am

      This is something that is quite different from what you will find here. I hope you get to taste it one of these days. 🙂

      Reply
  12. denise @ singapore shiok says

    July 31, 2012 at 5:53 am

    I love the shot of your rojak cone in the metal stand and I actually feel like preparing some rojak for hubby this evening. He absolutely loves it, and I miss it too! Have everything but the hay koh, off to the market I go 😉

    Reply
    • Biren says

      July 31, 2012 at 11:40 am

      Thanks Denise! I am really loving that new macro lens as the pictures come out nice and crisp.

      You should have no trouble finding hei koh in your part of the world. Happy snacking! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy says

    August 1, 2012 at 2:47 am

    Wow! These flavours are fantastic! I am definitely giving this a try!

    Reply
  14. kitchenriffs says

    August 1, 2012 at 12:37 pm

    This is a new dish to me – and it looks great. Love the flavors. Really like your stone mortar and pestle, too. I have a marble one, but I also need a stone one (I’m crazed I know). Good post – thanks.

    Reply
  15. Katherine Martinelli says

    August 13, 2012 at 12:14 am

    I’m so behind Biren! I love your spin on fruit for this challenge! The combination of the sweet fruit and spicy flavor really sounds great.

    Reply
  16. Katerina says

    August 17, 2012 at 3:12 am

    Sorry fr being so late for the party but I was on vacations. This is such an exotic salad! I love the flavors in this. So unique and tasty!

    Reply
  17. Nasifriet says

    August 18, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    Wow! I’m so glad you posted this, Biren! I was so craving for rojak. A friend gave me a bottle of the sauce (all-in-one) and what I did for all time sake (schooldays), was to smear the sauce on the a cucumber (cut lengthwise with the pit scooped out). The bottle of rojak sauce was gone in less than 3 days and I guess there’s no excuse in making my own 😀

    Thanks for sharing and I love the colour and texture of your sambal belacan. Reminds me of my mum’s kitchen 🙂

    Reply
    • Biren says

      August 18, 2012 at 9:44 pm

      When I was in Penang in June, I was so tempted to bring a jar of pre-made rojak sauce home. After some deliberation, I decided to buy the hei koh or prawn paste instead and make my own rojak sauce. I am glad I did as the sauce turned out beautifully, if I can say so myself. 🙂

      I grew up with sambal belacan. Mom constantly has a jar of it in the fridge which I got to enjoy during my recent visit. 🙂

      Reply
  18. Poh raggatt says

    April 5, 2013 at 6:56 pm

    Once again you have not only transported me back to Malaysia, but given me ticket to go there anytime I choose! S
    Thanks for sharing all you authentic Malaysian recipes. Love it!

    Just noticed that the “save recipe” box for Rojak goes to Sambal belachan.

    Reply
    • Biren says

      April 5, 2013 at 7:13 pm

      My website is always open. Please visit any time. 🙂 Really? It must be taking the first recipe on the page. I will look into it soon. Thanks for letting me know.

      Reply
  19. Paul says

    October 22, 2014 at 8:47 am

    Made the rojak last night. Tasted fine to me but I never had it before..will test it tonight at a dinner party with friends from Malaysia.

    Reply
    • Linda says

      October 22, 2014 at 7:05 pm

      I hope your Malaysian friends like it. 🙂 were you able to get the shrimp paste (belacan) and sweet black shrimp paste (hei koh)?

      Reply
  20. Maureen says

    March 19, 2015 at 7:09 am

    Oh yummm Biren !!! Thanks! Is there a substitute for bangkwang?

    Reply
    • Linda says

      March 19, 2015 at 9:20 am

      The closest thing I can think of in texture to bangkwang are Asian pears. 🙂 You can certainly leave it out altogether since there are quite a few fruits in there.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar


My grace is sufficient for thee…
2 Corinthians 12:9

Hi, I’m Linda! I make quick, easy meals, and spin on classics and old favorites with focus on Malaysian, Chinese, and American cuisines. Read more →

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Roti n Rice

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

My grace is sufficient for thee…

2 Corinthians 12:9

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Copyright

© 2010–2023 · Roti n Rice · All Rights Reserved